Juventus Confirm Goalkeeper Emil Audero Will Join Sampdoria in €20m Deal at the End of the Season

Italian youth goalkeeper Emil Audero will permanently leave Juventus this summer after the club agreed to a €20m fee with Sampdoria. 

The 22-year-old was initially meant to just spend this season on loan with Sampdoria before returning to Juventus in the summer, a club he first joined in 2008.

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But the Bianconeri confirmed on Wednesday that their loan agreement with Sampdoria has been amended. Originally, Audero moved as part of a deal with included an option to buy, but that has now been changed to an obligation to buy to ensure the goalkeeper remains at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris beyond this season.

"According to the new agreement, Sampdoria will be obliged (instead of having the option right) to acquire on a permanent basis the player for a consideration of €20m, to be paid in the following four financial years," Juventus said in a statement on their official website.

"In consideration of the obligation assumed by Sampdoria, Juventus has waived its counter-option right granted by the previous agreement."

Audero has been one of the best performing goalkeepers in Serie A this season and, along with Fabio Quagliarella's outstanding form, has been instrumental in helping Sampdoria to within just a few points of the Champions League places in Italy.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper has kept eight clean sheets - bettered only by Inter's Samir Handanović - this season and is currently among the favourites to succeed Liverpool stopper Alisson Becker as the Serie A's Migliore portiere (goalkeeper of the season).

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The Italy Under-21 international is also on the cusp of a senior first-team appearance with the Azzurri, with the qualifying stages for Euro 2020 set to kick-off in just over a month.